BACKGROUND: A series of basic researches have confirmed that, the olfactory ensheathing cell transplantation can promote spinal cord regeneration and recover some neurological functions of spinal cord in animal models of spinal cord injury. Some clinical trials also prove that transplantation of olfactory ensheathing cells can indeed improve neurological function in patients with spinal cord injury, and then improve their quality of life. OBJECTIVE: To verify the effectiveness and safety of olfactory ensheathing cell transplantation in repair of neurological function of spinal cord injury patients. METHODS: The aborted embryonic olfactory bulb was collected and digested into single olfactory ensheathing cells. After they were cultured and purified 2 weeks, olfactory ensheathing cell suspension was prepared. A total of 213 cases of spinal cord injury were selected. Under general anesthesia, the prepared olfactory ensheathing cell suspension was injected through several target sites surrounding the injured spinal cord. ASIA scale was used to assay the patients before transplantation, 3 weeks to 2 months after transplantation, so as to evaluate spinal cord recovery. RESULTS AND CONCLUSION: The spinal cord nerve function in all patients altered to different degrees at 3 weeks postoperation. Spinal cord function score, the sensory and motor functions were significantly increased compared with preoperation (P < 0.001), and showed a trend of continuous improvement with time; the patients were visited as follow-up for no more than 5 years, and no impairment of the restored nervous function or transplant adverse reactions were observed. It is confirmed that olfactory ensheathing cell transplantation can promote the recovery of nerve function in patients with spinal cord injury, it can restore and improve some spinal cord functions, and the treatment is safe.
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